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A Season of Sharing, and much aid in flux

Tracy Smith, in center, is a 37-year-old single mother of three who works full time at a nursing home and is going to school full time to become an occupational therapist. She receives help with her rent as part of the Family Self Sufficiency program run by the Manatee Community Action Agency through a federal grant. Her sons Peter, 8, Akiem, 18, and daughter Bryston, 15.

Published: Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 11:02 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 11:02 p.m.

For Tracy Smith, a 37-year-old single mother of three in Bradenton, a local self-sufficiency program pays half of the $800 monthly rent for a three-bedroom house.

Facts

EXTENDING A HELPING HAND

Season of Sharing provides emergency funding of last resort to families in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties — money, for example, to help a family stay in their home or put food on the table.

Every dollar donated goes to people in need. There are no administrative fees and no red tape. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County allocates Season of Sharing donations to a dozen area agencies.

HOW TO HELPDonations to the Season of Sharing fund may be made by check or credit card. Make checks payable to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, P.O. Box 49587, Sarasota FL 34230-6587. Donations are also accepted online.

Contact the foundation at (941) 556-2399 for more information or to request a credit card form. All donations are tax deductible.

ONLINE: To read previous stories and learn more about the Season of Sharing campaign, including what the money is used for and how it has been distributed, visit our Season of Sharing topics page.

She works 32 hours each week at a nursing home for $12 an hour, and attends State College of Florida full time while pursuing an occupational therapy license.

Food stamps provide another $200 a month, and Smith's children qualify for Medicaid and free school lunches.

"I'm trying to make it," Smith said as she wrapped up a counseling session at the Manatee Community Action Agency last week. "I want to get out of these programs and give back to the community."

But the days of food stamps and other federal anti-poverty programs may be numbered.

The nation's yawning budget deficit and growing debt are prompting Congress to closely scrutinize federal spending over the next month, with the social safety net under greater scrutiny than at any time since former President Bill Clinton tackled welfare reform in the 1990s.

The issue is especially pertinent in Southwest Florida, where such programs make up the vast majority of federal spending.

Local participation in federal anti-poverty initiatives, including food stamps and Medicaid, remains remarkably high six years after the economy began showing signs of weakness in Florida.

Advocates for the poor are concerned about continued access to these programs heading into another holiday season, when many families are still struggling.

Despite increased efforts after the recession by private charities, churches, foundations and individuals to help the poor, experts say federal spending still makes up the bulk of poverty prevention initiatives in Florida and nationwide.

"When it comes to the ability to provide food assistance on a massive scale" there is no match for the federal government, said Rebecca Brislain, executive director of the Florida Association of Food Banks.

"I don't see there's a way that can be replaced in a private sector fashion," Brislain said.

"The scale of it, I just don't think it's doable."

Growing need

Florida food banks, such as All Faiths in Sarasota, distribute twice as much food as they did three years ago, thanks to increased donations from private sources. But the roughly $247 million worth of food that was disbursed statewide last year is just half of what the food stamp program spends in just one month in Florida.

Sarasota and Manatee County residents received $163 million in food stamp benefits, combined, over the last year. The number of local food stamp recipients continues to rise and is nearly quadruple the 2006 participation rate, with 103,357 people in the program in both counties last month.

Nearly 84,000 people in Sarasota and Manatee also qualified for Medicaid health care benefits last month, double the figure from five years ago.

The federal government spent $171 million in the region on health insurance for the poor in 2010, according to the non-profit budget research group National Priorities Project.

The Community Action Agency program helping Smith uses a $450,000 federal grant to fund an intensive effort aimed at giving people a chance to stand on their own.

Participants receive extra financial support if they are in school, working at least part time and agree to regular counseling sessions.

The Community Action Agency has a $12 million annual budget. Nearly 90 percent of the money comes from a variety of federal programs that executive director Barbara Patten describes as "lifelines" for the 12,000 people who used the agency's services last year.

Large budget cuts would mean "people are going to be out on the street, hungry," Patten said. "It's going to be basic needs that aren't going to be met."

Questions of affordability

Despite the good intentions of such programs, there are questions about whether taxpayers, and thus the federal government, can afford current funding levels.

Lawmakers have targeted food stamps in particular, partly because their use has grown so dramatically in recent years.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney frequently mentioned the 46 million Americans on food stamps during campaign appearances. His running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, included billions of cuts to the program in his budget proposal earlier this year.

How the budget debate plays out with President Barack Obama re-elected, Democrats retaining control of the Senate and Republicans in control of the House is uncertain.

Obama has pushed for higher taxes on the wealthy to blunt spending cuts.

Republicans have focused more on making cuts to federal programs.

Regardless of what happens with the federal budget, social service providers say it is always difficult to muster enough resources to help all the people in need this time of year.

The people who visit Sarasota social worker Teressa Martin often have numerous financial problems: Car repairs they cannot afford, past-due rent, imminent power shut-off.

Most of the poor families she sees at the Jewish Family & Children's Service of Sarasota-Manatee have federal food stamp benefits, or can easily qualify. Food pantries fill the gaps.

"It helps when people are able to put their limited income toward other things rather than worrying about food," Martin said.

Martin has a waiting list of 110 families who are seeking help from Jewish Family and Children's Service in Sarasota County. Most need assistance with utilities and rent.

The money that is available to help goes quickly, but 250 families have been saved from homelessness already this year by JFCS.

Demand for social services is starting to level off locally, Martin said. More people are finding jobs. But many remain just a paycheck away from desperate circumstances.

"People are doing what they can to make ends meet," Martin said. "But for many it's still a struggle month to month."

<p>For Tracy Smith, a 37-year-old single mother of three in Bradenton, a local self-sufficiency program pays half of the $800 monthly rent for a three-bedroom house.</p><p>She works 32 hours each week at a nursing home for $12 an hour, and attends State College of Florida full time while pursuing an occupational therapy license.</p><p>Food stamps provide another $200 a month, and Smith's children qualify for Medicaid and free school lunches.</p><p>"I'm trying to make it," Smith said as she wrapped up a counseling session at the Manatee Community Action Agency last week. "I want to get out of these programs and give back to the community."</p><p>But the days of food stamps and other federal anti-poverty programs may be numbered.</p><p>The nation's yawning budget deficit and growing debt are prompting Congress to closely scrutinize federal spending over the next month, with the social safety net under greater scrutiny than at any time since former President Bill Clinton tackled welfare reform in the 1990s.</p><p>The issue is especially pertinent in Southwest Florida, where such programs make up the vast majority of federal spending.</p><p>Local participation in federal anti-poverty initiatives, including food stamps and Medicaid, remains remarkably high six years after the economy began showing signs of weakness in Florida.</p><p>Advocates for the poor are concerned about continued access to these programs heading into another holiday season, when many families are still struggling.</p><p>Despite increased efforts after the recession by private charities, churches, foundations and individuals to help the poor, experts say federal spending still makes up the bulk of poverty prevention initiatives in Florida and nationwide.</p><p>"When it comes to the ability to provide food assistance on a massive scale" there is no match for the federal government, said Rebecca Brislain, executive director of the Florida Association of Food Banks. </p><p>"I don't see there's a way that can be replaced in a private sector fashion," Brislain said. </p><p>"The scale of it, I just don't think it's doable."</p><p><b>Growing need</b></p><p>Florida food banks, such as All Faiths in Sarasota, distribute twice as much food as they did three years ago, thanks to increased donations from private sources. But the roughly $247 million worth of food that was disbursed statewide last year is just half of what the food stamp program spends in just one month in Florida.</p><p>Sarasota and Manatee County residents received $163 million in food stamp benefits, combined, over the last year. The number of local food stamp recipients continues to rise and is nearly quadruple the 2006 participation rate, with 103,357 people in the program in both counties last month.</p><p>Nearly 84,000 people in Sarasota and Manatee also qualified for Medicaid health care benefits last month, double the figure from five years ago.</p><p>The federal government spent $171 million in the region on health insurance for the poor in 2010, according to the non-profit budget research group National Priorities Project.</p><p>Millions more federal dollars are spent locally on utility assistance, nutrition programs for infants of poor mothers, school lunches, emergency cash payments, Pell Grant college scholarships for low-income individuals and child care for poor families.</p><p>The Community Action Agency program helping Smith uses a $450,000 federal grant to fund an intensive effort aimed at giving people a chance to stand on their own.</p><p>Participants receive extra financial support if they are in school, working at least part time and agree to regular counseling sessions.</p><p>The Community Action Agency has a $12 million annual budget. Nearly 90 percent of the money comes from a variety of federal programs that executive director Barbara Patten describes as "lifelines" for the 12,000 people who used the agency's services last year.</p><p>Large budget cuts would mean "people are going to be out on the street, hungry," Patten said. "It's going to be basic needs that aren't going to be met."</p><p><b>Questions of affordability</b></p><p>Despite the good intentions of such programs, there are questions about whether taxpayers, and thus the federal government, can afford current funding levels.</p><p>Lawmakers have targeted food stamps in particular, partly because their use has grown so dramatically in recent years.</p><p>GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney frequently mentioned the 46 million Americans on food stamps during campaign appearances. His running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, included billions of cuts to the program in his budget proposal earlier this year.</p><p>How the budget debate plays out with President Barack Obama re-elected, Democrats retaining control of the Senate and Republicans in control of the House is uncertain.</p><p>Obama has pushed for higher taxes on the wealthy to blunt spending cuts.</p><p>Republicans have focused more on making cuts to federal programs.</p><p>Regardless of what happens with the federal budget, social service providers say it is always difficult to muster enough resources to help all the people in need this time of year.</p><p>The people who visit Sarasota social worker Teressa Martin often have numerous financial problems: Car repairs they cannot afford, past-due rent, imminent power shut-off.</p><p>Most of the poor families she sees at the Jewish Family & Children's Service of Sarasota-Manatee have federal food stamp benefits, or can easily qualify. Food pantries fill the gaps.</p><p>"It helps when people are able to put their limited income toward other things rather than worrying about food," Martin said.</p><p>Martin has a waiting list of 110 families who are seeking help from Jewish Family and Children's Service in Sarasota County. Most need assistance with utilities and rent. </p><p>The money that is available to help goes quickly, but 250 families have been saved from homelessness already this year by JFCS.</p><p>Demand for social services is starting to level off locally, Martin said. More people are finding jobs. But many remain just a paycheck away from desperate circumstances.</p><p>"People are doing what they can to make ends meet," Martin said. "But for many it's still a struggle month to month."</p>